Thursday, June 10, 2010

Project 8

We are on day 52 of the oil spill. FIFTY TWO. Yes, there's a cap and yes, it funneling some of the oil but the point is that is STILL going and there is STILL no end in sight. Pardon my french but this scares the shit out of me. It really does. And it bothers me that the media seems to focus more on the whodunit than on the real and catastrophic impact that this will have. At this point, does it matter who's responsible? Shouldn't we be worried about how we're going to stop it? People in the Gulf states are losing their livelihoods, wildlife is suffering but this can and will get much much worse. You think it's sad to see businesses go under and seabirds slicked in oil? What until you see what happens when they can't stop it. The oceans control this planet. If we ruin it, if we poison it, we are damning ourselves.

As I sit and helplessly watch the situation unfold from my living room, I feel scared and overwhelmed. I want to do something. Not just donate money either. I want to get in there, use my hands and make a difference. I looked up volunteer opportunities but most I found were limited to those with oil cleanup experience and training or those with veterinary experience. Granted, oil is a hazardous chemical but really, is now the time to be picky about who's there to help? And veterinary experience? Anyone can later up a bird with dish soap. Also, they all required travel which isn't impossible for me, but difficult. Helpless. Incapable. Powerless.

Enter Project 8. Craft Hope is "spreading the seeds of hope one stitch at a time." Craft Hope is designed to combine a love for crafting with the desire to help others. Project 8 is calling for those who can sew, knit or crochet to make hand towels and washcloths to clean the oil out of all the nooks and crannies of a variety of sea life. They are partnering with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and the Audubon Nature Society.

Being new to sewing, I am intimidated but excited that I can use my new skills to physically help with the situation. The towels needn't be fancy. They will probably be used a couple times and then, being too saturated with oil, will have to be disposed of. I'm pretty sure an oil covered turtle will not care if my hem is crooked. And so, I will. I have already them cut out and they're ready to be stitched. It's not much, but it's something. The world is so big, and sometimes I just don't know where to start. Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference. Find a way to help. Do something. Do anything. Help save us all.